Life throws changes at you at a rapid pace. Some days it feels like the tasks are just too big to handle. So what do you do? How do you get yourself through the never-ending changes?
In a nutshell: Whatever way you can.
Look back on every rough time that you managed to somehow make it through. Find a common thread. That thread will usually lead to a hidden strength that holds the key to your perseverance. I came across another Peale quote that opened my heart to my own truth: enthusiasm. It’s so second nature to me that I don’t even notice it anymore. And yet, when a colleague of mine mentioned how cheerful I am whenever he sees me, I had to think about that statement as I don’t consider myself to be an overly happy person. I look at the world through a BIG microscope, and that tends to stifle the cheerfulness. And yet, somehow, I’ve managed to retain my own brand of happy that has carried me through life.
Yep, enthusiasm is a big part of the fuel that keeps my fire going. It’s the reason why I started to keep this blog, and also how I pursue every project that I become deeply involved in.
What causes the fire to warm your soul? Is it colors? Sounds? Ideas? Feelings? Connections? Challenges? I can keep this list going on forever because for me it’s all of them and more. But then, it’s my list and it will continue to grow as long as I want it to.
So what would be on your list? Make a map of these connections and it just might lead you to the common link. Or you might already know the link and need to define what makes up your strength. Whatever you do, FIND YOUR STRENGTH. Embrace it. Know it so that it becomes a part of the definition of YOU. Trust me, your definition will never be simple. But you just might find out that you’re a whole lot stronger than you thought.
And here’s my new motto that will get me through my new set of challenges as I open up to a new road:
Kind of fits in with my goal of staying a misfit.
And a wonderful reminder to those who are misfits (I can never hear this enough):
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
